IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES NATURAL RESOURCE COMMISSION Meeting Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Meeting Location: Wallace Bldg – 5th Floor Conference Room 5W th 502 E. 9 Street, Des Moines, IA MEETING AGENDA Meeting convenes at 12:00 pm Public Participation begins at approximately 12:00 pm 1. Approval of Agenda Decision Consent Agenda (*within agenda indicates proposed consent agenda item) *Items 2, 3, 5.1-5.6., 5.8, 6, 7, 8, 10 *2. Approve Minutes of 09/08/11 NRC Public Meeting Decision *3. Approve Minutes of 10/06/11 NRC Public Meeting Decision 4. Chickasaw County Land Disposal/Replacement Decision Dale Garner Wildlife Habitat Promotion With Local Entities Program 5. Construction Projects Contract Approval *5.1 Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery – Façade and Roof Repair Decision Gabe Lee *5.2 Volga River Recreation Area - Equestrian Campground Decision Gabe Lee Electric Project *5.3 Springbrook State Park – Sherburne Cabin Road Decision Gabe Lee *5.4 Virgin Lake - Outlet Structure Decision Gabe Lee *5.5 Little River Lake –Lake Restoration Project Decision Gabe Lee *5.6 Garlock Slough Wetland Complex - Graff Wetland Decision Gabe Lee Restoration Project 5.7 Riverton WMA – Flood Repair and PCC Paving (Change Decision Gabe Lee Order #2) *5.8 Professional Services Contract – Delivery Order Approval, Decision Gabe Lee Lake Darling State Park 5.9 Professional Services Contracts – Lake Manawa Decision Gabe Lee Drawdown Engineering and Observation Services 5.10 Lake Manawa pumping: contracts with Rain for Rent and Decision Gabe Lee Andersen Construction, Inc. *6. Land Acquisition Projects *6.1 Upper Iowa River Wildlife Management Area – Decision Travis Baker Winneshiek Co. – Lyon *6.2 Prairie Rose State Park – Shelby Co. – Hansen Decision Travis Baker *6.3 Prairie Rose State Park – Shelby Co. – Johannsen Decision Travis Baker *6.4 Prairie Rose State Park – Shelby Co. – Mills Decision Travis Baker *7. Land Management Agreement, Wanata County Park, Clay Decision Travis Baker CCB *8. REAP City Parks and Open Space Grants Decision Tammie Krausman 9. REAP County Conservation Board Grants Decision Tammie Krausman *10. REAP Private Public Cost-share Grants – September 2011 Decision Tammie Krausman Upcoming NRC Meeting Dates: November 10, 2011 – Henry Wallace State Office Building, Des Moines, 9:30am December 8, 2011 – Henry Wallace State Office Building, Des Moines, 9:30am 1 of 1 – 10/14/11 Iowa Department of Natural Resources Natural Resource Commission ITEM 4 DECISION TOPIC Chickasaw County Land Disposal/Replacement - Wildlife Habitat Promotion With Local Entities Program In 1979, the Iowa General Assembly passed legislation requiring hunters and trappers to purchase a wildlife habitat stamp. All revenue derived from the sale of habitat stamps are used within the state of Iowa for acquisition of land, leasing of land, or obtaining easements from willing sellers for use as wildlife habitats and for the development and enhancement of wildlife lands and habitat areas. At least 50 percent of the stamp revenues are apportioned to local entities (county conservation boards) on a semiannual basis each year. Cost sharing will not be approved for more than 75 percent of the approved appraised value. The Wildlife Habitat Stamp Fund Program is administered by the DNR in compliance with 571 Iowa Administrative Code 23. The Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors are seeking permission to dispose of a 127-acre area acquired in 1984 with Wildlife Habitat Funds with the goal of replacing the land. The area is known as the Price Wildlife Habitat, and is an abandoned railroad right-of-way. The Iowa Administrative Code allows for land disposal in the grant program as stated below: 23.14(2) Land disposal. Whenever it has been determined and agreed upon by the grantee and the commission that land acquired or developed with habitat stamp fund assistance is no longer of value for the project purpose, or that the local entity has other good cause, the land, with the approval of the commission, may be disposed of and the proceeds thereof used to acquire or develop an area of equal value, or 75 percent of the proceeds shall be returned to the state for inclusion in the wildlife habitat stamp fund. The Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors (Board) will obtain a Yellow Book or USPAP appraisal for current market value on the property being sold. The replacement property will be of equal or higher value and have commensurate benefits to wildlife. The Board will work with DNR staff on the land replacement with the Board returning to the Natural Resource Commission for approval on purchasing the replacement land within the next two years. Dale Garner, Wildlife Bureau Chief Conservation and Recreation Division October 18, 2011 Attached: Letter from Brian Moore, Director – Chickasaw County Conservation Board Chickasaw County Conservation Board TWIN PONDS NATURE CENTER 1811 240th Street, Ionia, IA 50645 Brian Moore, Director Phone: 641-394-4714 Cell: 641-330-5391 Fax: 641-394-5136 June 23, 2011 To: Iowa Natural Resource Commission From: Brian Moore, Director Re: Disposal of Price Wildlife Habitat The Chickasaw County Conservation Board is seeking permission to dispose of a 127 acre area acquired in 1984 with Wildlife Habitat Funds. The area is known as the Price Wildlife Habitat, and is an abandoned railroad right-of-way (ROW). Pressure from adjoining landowners to fence, improve drainage, and eliminate brushy cover and trees on the area are the reason for wanting to dispose of the property. Landowners still have a legal hold on the Conservation Board because there is a code section requiring them to fence the abandoned ROW, even though there is not any livestock along most of this area. The Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors has voted to sell this area to avoid future maintenance costs they consider to be above what the county can afford. Our solution will be to use the money from this sale to purchase land along the Wapsipinicon River through Chickasaw County. We have four landowners who are willing sellers, and will consider sale of their property to Chickasaw County in the near future. The property we propose to acquire totals approximately 260 acres and will connect five other areas Chickasaw County already owns. This will give Chickasaw County two areas along the Wapsipinicon River within a four mile stretch, one of 399 acres, and the other of 628 acres. Mission Statement: The Mission of Chickasaw County Conservation is to enhance, promote, protect, preserve and reclaim Chickasaw County natural resources for the benefit, enjoyment & education of all Chickasaw County residents and visitors. Iowa Department of Natural Resources Natural Resource Commission ITEM: 5 DECISION (*5.1-5.6, 5.8 proposed consent) TOPIC: Construction Projects The Department requests Commission approval of the following construction projects: *1. Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery – Façade and Roof Repair Dickinson County Project No 12-01-30-05 Project Summary: Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery has been a very visible facility for the Fisheries Bureau with the public in its lifetime over the past 50+ years. As a public face for the Fisheries Bureau, which accepts public in to view various fish in the visitor welcome area as well as allowing public to enter the hatchery pool area, the building needs to have an acceptable appearance. Spirit Lake, Iowa has some of the harshest freeze/thaw cycles in the country, this coupled with the high-water table and considerable interior moisture problems of a fish hatchery, and it has remained remarkably functional for the past half- century. These issues, however, have lead the brick to begin a terminal expansion & contraction cycle which has been happening for the past few winters. This will ultimately lead to catastrophic failure of the brick façade, which is directly in the egress area of the public entry. This project proposes to remove all damaged brick areas, replace with steel siding panel and replace the rubber roof with a low-slope steel roof, eliminating water infiltration issues in the wall. Function of the Project: Maintain the Spirit Lake Hatchery building to allow the citizens of Iowa a first-hand look at what the DNR – Fisheries Bureau does for the state. Without immediate corrective action, the façade of this building will fail in the near future. Construction Needed: Demolish all brick on public welcome center. Small lifts will be needed to set panels and roofing in place. Should take a few months from beginning to end, with minimal interruptions to the public access. DNR Project Manager: Ryan Richey; Engineering Bureau Designer: Ryan Richey; Engineering Bureau DNR Inspector: Jeff Felts, PE; Engineering Bureau Operating Bureau: Fisheries Funding Source: 70% - Federal DJ / 30% - REAP Land Management (FY12 Cap Link 164) Cost Estimate: $300,000.00 Plans Issue Date: 08/26/11 Bid Letting Date: 09/15/11 Plan Holders: 9 Number of Bids Received: 2 Bidders Modern Builders, Inc. Janesville, IA $256,900.00 Sande Construction and Supply Humbolt, IA $331,680.00 IDNR recommends awarding the Bid to Modern Builders, Inc. *2. Volga River Recreation Area - Equestrian Campground Electric Project Fayette County, Iowa Project No 11-03-33-02 Project Summary: The scope of this project involves construction of campground electrical service in the equestrian campgrounds in the Volga River Recreation Area. The project was designed and bid by the engineering bureau. This project will be 100% funded with I-JOBS 2011 funding. Function of the Project: The existing equestrian campground in the Volga River Recreation Area was recently upgraded with new campground roads and camp pad sites. This project completes the upgrades to the campground by providing 50-amp electrical service to the 34 camp pads in the campgrounds. Construction Needed: Work under this project includes two pad mounted distribution panels, 34 single campsite outlet posts, trenched in wiring with tracer wire and warning tape, and two security lights in the campground area.